Sam Houston State University officials said the school is still pursuing accreditation for a proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine to open in Conroe in 2020.


The new college has been in the works since 2015 and would be located in Conroe’s Grand Central Park starting in the fall 2020 semester. The college has not yet received accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation or approval for the degree program from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as of February.


“The proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine at [SHSU] is an applicant, seeking accreditation from [COCA],” said Emily Schulze Binetti, interim associate director of communications for SHSU. “The proposed college is also in the process of seeking approval for the degree program from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.”


Osteopathic medicine uses modern medicine, incorporating hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system known as osteopathic manipulative medicine, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. The intent of the new college is to meet the needs of the medically underserved East Texas region, SHSU officials said.


If approved, the college would offer a four-year professional doctorate program with intensive classroom training followed by student rotations in surgery, medicine and women’s health. Each class would have 150 students, reaching capacity at 600 students.


A timeline for accreditation has not been announced.


“The COCA maintains strict confidentiality around any institution that it does not currently accredit,” said Sheridan Chaney, COCA associate vice president for content and media.